FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary disclosed machine 10 having a hydraulic hammer assembly 12. Machine 10 may be configured to perform work associated with a particular industry such as, for example, mining or construction. Machine 10 may be a backhoe loader (shown in FIG. 1), an excavator, tool carrier, a skid steer loader, or any other type of machine. Hammer assembly 12 may be pivotally connected to machine 10 through a boom 14 and a stick 16. Alternatively, hammer assembly 12 may be connected to machine 10 in another way.
Machine 10 may include a hydraulic supply system (not shown in FIG. 1) for moving and powering hammer assembly 12. For example, machine 10 may include a pump (not shown) connected through one or more hydraulic supply lines (not shown) to hydraulic cylinders 18 associated with boom 14 and stick 16, and to hammer assembly 12. The hydraulic supply system may supply pressurized fluid, for example oil, from the pump to the hydraulic cylinders 18 and hammer assembly 12. Hydraulic cylinders 18 may raise, lower, and/or swing boom 14 and stick 16 to correspondingly raise, lower, and/or swing hammer assembly 12. Operator controls for movement of hydraulic cylinders 18 and/or hammer assembly 12 may be located within a cab 20 of machine 10.
As shown in FIG. 1, hammer assembly 12 may include a housing 22, which may be connected to stick 16. A work tool 24 may be operatively connected to an end of housing 22 opposite stick 16. It is contemplated that work tool 24 may include any tool capable of interacting with hammer assembly 12. For example, work tool 24 may include a chisel bit, moil point, percussion buster, blunt tool, ramming tool, tamping plate, cutter, or other hammer bit. Although not shown, a reciprocating piston may be powered hydraulically to move the hammer bit up and down. The hammer assembly 12 is shown to be attached to a coupling mechanism 28 via an adapter plate 30 and fasteners 32.
As best seen with reference to FIGS. 2 thru 4, the housing 22 contains the powercell 34. More particularly, the powercell 34 is attached to the rigid mount sideplates 36 of the housing 22 via fasteners 38 that mate with the outer counterbores 40 of the sideplates 36 and are threaded into the side holes 42 of the mounting plates 44 of the powercell 34. It may be noted that the top ends of the sideplates 36 include attachment portions 46 that define holes 48 that can receive or otherwise mate with fasteners 30 (shown in FIG. 1) for attaching the housing 22 of the hammer assembly 12 to the adapter plate 30 (also shown in FIG. 1) of the machine 10.
As can be imagined, the heads of the fasteners can become damaged from contact with rocks or other debris as the hammer is being used, making them difficult to remove when it is later desired to disassembly the hammer assembly for maintenance, etc. In some cases, the heads of the fasteners need to be ground or the shanks of the fasteners need to be cut to facilitate disassembly. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a mechanism that allows the hammer assembly to be assembled and disassembled without needing to resort to such time consuming measures.